Danbury Hospital lung cancer surgery earns highest quality rating

Danbury Hospital patients have better than expected outcomes after lung cancer surgery

The Nuvance Health thoracic surgery program at Danbury Hospital has achieved a distinguished three-star rating from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) for its lung cancer resection outcomes. Three-stars is the highest quality rating possible by STS. STS star ratings are one of the most sophisticated and highly regarded overall measures of quality in healthcare.

Danbury Hospital patients who have lung cancer surgery experience better than expected outcomes compared to rigorous quality benchmarks from cardiothoracic programs in the United States and Canada. Benchmarks includes the absence of major complications and mortality. Patients also leave Danbury Hospital a whole day sooner after lung cancer surgery compared to the medium length of stay at other hospitals.

“I am exceedingly proud of our STS three-star rating for lung cancer resections. The achievement is a testament to the outstanding surgical skills of Nuvance Health’s thoracic surgeons, and care provided by the entire thoracic surgical team and multidisciplinary specialists,” said Dr. Faiz Bhora, system chief of thoracic surgery and the thoracic oncology program at Nuvance Health. “I am even more delighted as this follows on the heels of the STS three-star rating for esophagectomies at Vassar Brothers Medical Center.”

“To achieve three stars quality ratings for both lung cancer and esophageal cancer surgery is unique and places the Nuvance Health thoracic surgery program among the most elite in the country,” said Dr. Bhora.

Nuvance Health thoracic surgeons also use fiducial markers and robotic bronchoscopy to diagnose lung cancers at a very early stage. They also use this technology to perform targeted lung cancer surgery in order to preserve as much healthy tissue as possible.